NMA pays tribute to frontline workers that died from COVID-19

Says,  264 doctors have been exposed to the virus

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), has paid tribute to all the frontline  health  workers especially those that contracted the dreaded Coronavirus and those that died from the virus in Nigeria.

In a statement jointly signed by the NMA president Dr. Francis Faduyile  and its secretary  Dr. Olumuyiwa Odusote, the medical body demanded a better protection for all health  workers.

This is coming as Nigeria  join the rest of the world to mark the ‘world day for safety and health at work’ with the theme: “Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives”. 

The NMA while describing the theme as  apt lamented that about 264 doctors have been exposed to COVID-19 situations out of which 20 actually contracted the infection, 2  recovery and  three mortalities. 

“These are among the over 66 healthcare workers who have tested positive after their exposure and 4 who died.

“NMA acknowledges that contracting the virus from patients with the highly contagious COVID-19 is feasible even with the best of conditions due to the inevitability of close contacts with the sick.

“The Association however restates that the occurrence could be reduced with strict adherence to the global best practice of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols. 

“Availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) in adequate quality and quantity, amenities like running water, enabling environment in the health service space and spirit lifting motivation and incentives can mitigate hazardous environments, reduce drastically the incidence of nosocomial infections and engender a hazard-free health service environment”, the body stated.

The Association futher pledged to  continue to engage with appropriate levels of authority to provide for the safety of healthcare workers all over Nigeria.

“We are committed and also bracing  up to continue to defend our fatherland and its people against the ravaging army of Corona virus. 

“This is also why the NMA has flagged off the ” Save our pPrivate Health Practitioners (SOPHEP), Program”

 to mobilise resources in cash and kind to provide adequate PPE and consumables to assist private health facilities seemingly abandoned by public authorities to practice IPC for their safety and protection of their staff, their patients and by extension the general public”, the NMA added.